William De Leftwich Dodge

William de Leftwich Dodge (1867–1935) was an American artist best known for his murals, which were commissioned for both public and private buildings.

William de Leftwich Dodge, 1915

Born:March 8, 1867 Bedford, Virginia

Died:March 25, 1935 (aged 68)New York City NationalityAmerican

Occupationmuralist, portraitist, illustrator Known for monumental murals

Spouse(s)Francesca Theodora Bland Pryor, m.1897 Children,Roger, Sara

After he and his family settled in New York, Dodge taught at the Art Students League of New York and at Cooper Union.

He became known as a muralist when the genre was at a peak of popularity, commissioned for major public buildings as well as hotels and mansions. Murals were seen as a kind of art that could reach directly to the people. Dodge drew on a variety of styles for his murals, settling on a heroic, neoclassical look. Achieving success with commissions for his murals, in 1906 Dodge designed the classical Villa Francesca, named after his wife, as their family home in Setauket, Long Island.

In his private work, Dodge's paintings show the influence of Impressionism and Fauvism. Toward the end of his career, Dodge became interested in Mayan art. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Academy of Design.

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